For the Love of Animals

Pets bring happiness into any house. Dogs, cats, hamsters, as well as those slightly less common but still very much loved like sugar gliders, ferrets or snakes, they're all wonderful to have since they show happiness when you're near, they provide you company when you're alone and they're a source of entertainment when they know they're being watched, and even more so when they don't. Pets are a responsibility and having one costs, as you have to get them proper food and provide vet visits and medication, but there is one area where you can save up, and that's pet toys.

Animals need movement and they're in a way like kids, they like to play. Not getting them toys because they go through them too fast or because pet toys are expensive is not an option, so you either have to find some extra cash in your budget for that, or you need to get creative. I believe a bit of creativity together with recycling and home cleaning is the better option, all you need to do is take a look at animal toys in stores for inspiration and then go through the house in search of things that are broken, never used or completely forgotten to turn them into toys.

Obviously not everything can become a toy, and some items will be suitable for some animals and unacceptable for others, so make sure to avoid anything that could hurt your pet, like things with exposed wires, ones that could shatter easily, something with very small parts that could fall off and get swallowed, and after you limit those, consider what kind of pet you're making a toy for. An old mini mouse may be a great toy for a cat to chase, but it won't work for a pitbull with very powerful jaws; a marble small enough to get stuck in a cat's throat will be the right size for a mouse or a hamster. You have to have a specific animal in mind when making a given toy, and if you have several pets, always consider all of them.

Some easy toys include snipping parts of a baby mobile to attach them to a stick or even tie them up to a pencil to get a moving toy on a rod perfect for cats and rodents; a rope you once used for window treatments can become a tug toy for your dog; a small wicker basket that broke can now serve as a climbing place in your hamster's cage, and a cracked teapot can become your goldfish's getaway in the aquarium.

Other than typical toys, you can also utilize different items to make pet beds, scratching posts or collars. If you find old sheets and blankets, make them into comfortable bedding for the house and seat covers for when you take your pet in the car; ripped or too small cycling apparel or wool coat worn out beyond repair can be turned into small pillows stuffed with catnip, beans or small pieces of fabric to serve as either toys or parts o the bedding; and colorful blouses, old bandanas and ties can be equipped with a clasp to make unique collars which you can use on your animal instead of traditional ones from the store. If you have any wood left over from building a fence or old carpeting you didn't yet get rid of, try making a scratching or climbing post for your cats or small animals, so they can catch onto something with their nails without getting punished for ruining anew couch.

If you take care of your animals, they will take care of you, so you won't ever get back to an empty house, you will have something to laugh at, to pet and you will always feel loved, no matter if you have a big loving family or you live with a gerbil.